Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Freddie Steward storm rumbles on as England legend brands red 'utter farce'

Hugo Keenan of Ireland goes down after a tackle by Freddie Steward of England, resulting in a red card for Freddie Steward, during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

The debate around the red card shown to Freddie Steward during Ireland and England’s Six Nations game in Dublin last night continues to spark controversy this Sunday morning.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 6’5, 110kg England fullback was sent off just before halftime after his elbow made contact with Ireland fullback Hugo Keenan’s head. Keenan left the field for a head injury assessment, ultimately failing to return.

Former England scrumhalf Matt Dawson has labelled it “an utter farce”. He and many others argue that Steward did not intend to make contact with Keenan’s head and that the collision was simply an unfortunate accident which is impossible to avoid in a contact sport.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

“The officials are showing a lack of understanding of the game. I can’t disagree with how the contact is a red but it is the context of how it went to that contact,” Dawson said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “He is stepping and slowing and turning to get out of the contact area, and has been punished by being sent off. It is a mockery.

“He was doing his utmost to avoid any kind of contact. It is an utter farce.”

Newcastle Falcons press officer Mark Smith wrote: “Is Freddie Steward meant to just vaporise and disappear? Bloke ran in to him head-first and he was just bracing for impact. All for player safety, but what can he actually do there?”

The Rugby Paper’s Neil Fissler wrote: “The more you look at the Freddie Steward red card the more it looks like an awful decision. If they aren’t careful this is going to be a non contact sport.”

https://twitter.com/neilfissler/status/1637151956052443139

ADVERTISEMENT

Bristol Bears women’s player Simi Pam wrote: “What could Freddie Steward have done differently in that situation? It was a reflex. He braced to protect himself and unfortunately the Irish player hit his elbow. It’s just one of those things that happen when you play a contact sport in my opinion.”

Mike Bubbins wrote: “That really is incredibly harsh on Freddie Steward. I am a major advocate of making the game safer, but I don’t see what else he could do, there. He’s been one of Englands best players this Six Nations.”

https://twitter.com/MikeBubbins/status/1637149905381728261

Steward will now face a Guinness Six Nations disciplinary panel and it will be fascinating to see whether the red is reduced to a yellow card.

Related

ADVERTISEMENT

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

t
tonirobinson362 19 minutes ago
Geoff Parling: An Englishman roasting the Lions?

A few weeks ago, I came across a YouTube ad that stopped me in my tracks. It looked like a live broadcast of Elon Musk announcing Tesla’s “exclusive crypto project.” The production was flawless, professional, convincing, and eerily realistic. His voice, expressions, mannerisms everything matched what you’d expect from a real Tesla livestream.The ad promised massive returns if you “joined the project” by sending Bitcoin to a wallet address. I was skeptical at first, but the countdown timer, skyrocketing charts, and Elon’s confident pitch chipped away at my doubt. Eventually, I gave in. I sent $8,000 worth of BTC, thinking I was getting in early on a groundbreaking initiative.But just a few hours later, something didn’t sit right. I checked Tesla’s official channels. No mention of any crypto project. My stomach dropped.I rushed to a blockchain explorer and looked up the wallet address I’d sent the funds to. What I saw confirmed my worst fears: my BTC was being split and moved rapidly across multiple wallets in a process known as “smurfing,” a common money laundering technique. I had been scammed.In desperation, I searched for help and came acrossCHAINTRACE ASSET RECOVERYa blockchain forensics firm. Honestly, I didn’t expect much but I reached out anyway. To my surprise, they responded quickly and took my case seriously. Their team began tracking the funds in real time, tracing the flow of my BTC through a web of wallets.Incredibly, they managed to link the stolen funds to a wallet connected to an account on Finance, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges.They didn’t waste a second. Within 48 hours, CHAINTRACE ASSET RECOVERYhad coordinated with Binance’s security team, who were able to freeze the scammer’s account before the funds could be withdrawn or laundered further.A few days later, the impossible happened the full $8,000 was returned to me.Even now, I can hardly believe it. I went from being scammed by a deepfake crypto con to getting every dollar back, all thanks to the quick action and expertise of CHAINTRACE ASSET RECOVERY.If you’ve fallen victim to a crypto scam, don’t give up. Get help immediately. Time is critical, and with CHAINTRACE ASSET RECOVERY,recovery is possible.  

WHATSAPP : ‪‪+1 (581) 256‑1989‬‬

TELEGRAM : ‪https://t.me/CHAINTRACE_ASSET_RECOVERY‬ WEBSITE ‪https://chaintraceassetrecovery.com

44 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Despite the Croke Park horror show, Marcus Smith shouldn't be discounted from Lions conversation Despite the Croke Park horror show, Marcus Smith shouldn't be discounted from Lions conversation
Search